As two members of the U.K. electorate, we both plan to vote to remain in the EU on June 23. We’d like to explain why.

At UPS, we have grown our business through our customers. Twelve years ago, we had about 3,000 employees in the U.K. Today, that has risen to 8,000.

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“ We believe it is crucial that the U.K. remains an active member of the European Union. ”

That increase has had much to do with intra-EU trade and the free movement of goods.

To support that growth, we have also invested heavily in the infrastructure of our U.K. business with a number of new buildings and are currently building a new London hub that will help us move customers’ volume by road between the U.K. and other parts of the EU even more efficiently than we do today.

Free movement of goods

The single market and the free movement of goods within Europe are of critical importance to trade flows. The free movement of goods across borders within the EU has supported our growth not just in the U.K. but also throughout Europe.

We believe it is crucial that the U.K. remains an active member of the European Union.

The U.K.’s tireless commitment to trade, free enterprise and the single market have been instrumental in keeping Europe globally competitive, and the U.K. and EU are both better off with the U.K. as a full member.

UPS & the European Union

In many ways, our company has grown up with the European Union. UPS expanded into Europe in 1976, just a few years after the U.K. had joined the European Communities.

In the decades since, we’ve witnessed the remarkable transformation of Europe into a single market.

Through the efforts of government and business, more than 500 million consumers have access to the best goods and services throughout the EU, which is now the largest free trade area in the world.

If the U.K. left…

If the U.K. left the EU, it would potentially fall outside the single market and no longer benefit from the free movement of goods.

U.K. businesses could face customs duties and barriers on their exports to other EU member states, rendering them less competitive.

The U.K. would also no longer benefit from existing and future free trade agreements negotiated by the European Commission, placing the U.K. at a disadvantage compared to today.

That is why we will be voting to remain in the EU on June 23, 2016.

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